Overcoming Temptation (1 Peter 5:6-9)

Overcoming Temptation (1 Peter 5:6-9)

 

6. 그러므로 하나님의 능하신 손 아래에서 겸손하라 때가 되면 너희를 높이시리라 

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

 

7. 너희 염려를 다 주께 맡기라 이는 그가 너희를 돌보심이라

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

 

8. 근신하라 깨어라 너희 대적 마귀가 우는 사자 같이 두루 다니며 삼킬 자를 찾나니 

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

 

9. 너희는 믿음을 굳건하게 하여 그를 대적하라 이는 세상에 있는 너희 형제들도 동일한 고난을 당하는 줄을 앎이라

9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

 

 

1. Today’s sermon is a “how-to guide” for overcoming temptation. Temptation surrounds and attempts to attack us each and everyday. In fact, temptation is such a prevalent danger in the life of a Christian. So much so that even part of the Lord’s Prayer asks God to “lead us not into temptation.”

 

“Public Enemy” is a Korean crime-drama movie about a detective who plays cat-and-mouse with a murderous psychopathic banker. The detective in the movie collectively calls the parasitic and deplorable groups in society (such as human traffickers, loan-sharks, and organized crime mobs) a “common public enemy”.

 

Today’s scripture tells us that we, too, have a common public enemy: Satan. Verse 9 tells us to “[r]esist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings,” meaning Satan is an enemy to all Christians, regardless of time, background, or environment.

 

Hence, Jesus tells us, “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Matthew 12:28) The kingdom of God lies in the hearts of those who accept Christ and drive Satan out of their lives.

 

We must always be alert and ensure we do not fall for the tests and temptations of the devil. We must remain alert and guard our hearts. Today, I will discuss four ways we can protect ourselves from temptation.




1. We Must Be Humble Before God.

Verse 6 says, “6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” Satan cannot knock down someone who is humble. Adam and Eve caved to the temptation of the fruit of the knowledge of good and even because of their own arrogance. Eve heard the serpent’s sweet promises saying if you eat the fruit “…your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”” (Genesis 3:5)

 

How could any hunk of mere mud ever think it could become God’s equal? We, humans, were created by the hands of God; we are nothing more than His frail creations. We cannot survive without air; we grow uncomfortable after just one day of not showering; and without God’s grace we can never experience true joy.

 

If Eve truly understood her lowly status, she would never have thought a bite from a fruit could make her like God; she would have known that nothing in the world could compare her to Him.

 

Just as the Bible describes, we are no better than a worm or mayfly. The Apostle Paul described life as a sun that rises but is quickly overcast by fog. But when we recognize this, God holds us up and keeps us from falling. Psalm 147:6 clearly tells us, “The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.”




If you humble yourself, no insult or criticism will hurt you. Humbleness allows you to be thankful and happy through any circumstance. If you feel tested, then humble yourself even more. We need to know how to lower and humble ourselves.

 

Carrying your cross, following Jesus, and denying your own self is how you take on and show humility. The Apostle Paul said, “by the grace of God I am what I am.” (1 Corinthians 15:10) In other words, if we come to church but do not receive the recognition we think we deserve, it does not mean we should get upset or start criticizing others. Instead, we must always think about who we can serve more or what we can do better.




Saint Augustine, “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” English writer, art critic, and philanthropist John Ruskin also said, “The first test of a truly great man is his humility.”

 

People think that being humble means to lose. But in reality, life becomes so much more pleasant and comfortable when we cast aside our arrogance, deny our selves, and live with humility. Without our pride, we have no reason to fight or argue with others and Satan cannot bring us down.

 

2. Cast Your Worries onto the Lord.

Verse 7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” God will take on all of your worries and He will take care of you.




When does Satan attack our hearts? It is when we are worried, weary, and at our lowest. To protect our hearts, we must always stand firm in the Word of His promise. Jesus promised us that he will take care of us until our last breath.

 

God tells His people in Isaiah 46:3-4, ““Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”


 

Matthew 6:30-32 tells us, “If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”




The devil targets us when we worry and our faith falters. Turn to God when you feel your faith growing weary. David says in Psalm 3:4-6, “4 I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. 6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.”

 

Hallelujah! This is faith. Faith gives you the power to remain calm and peaceful even if thousands assail you and the sky crumbles above you. If we lose faith, as the Israel did in the desert when and complained and cried to return to Egypt, we become Satan’s target.




3. Alert and Vigilant Prayers Protect You.

Verse 8 in today’s scripture says, “8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” To be “alert and of sober mind” means to live a life of active prayer. If we do not want to fall prey to the devil, prowling like a hunting lion, we must remain spiritually alert through prayer.




Hence, the Lord tells us in Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” When Jesus was arrested, what made the Apostles surrender to tests and temptations? It was not due to a lack of will or love for Jesus.

 

The disciples said that they would die before they denied the Lord. But they failed to uphold their promise because they did not pray. At Gethsemane, while Jesus was praying, the disciples fell asleep instead of praying as they were told.

 

Even if you are exhausted, invest your last energy into prayer; that bit of weariness is better than succumbing to the temptations of the devil. Without prayer, no one stands a chance.




4. Remain Steadfast and Resist.

Last, verse 9 tells us this, “9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” The best way to defeat the devil is to resist him.

 

If you even encounter a wild predator, you know the first thing you must not do is show your back. Zoologist Adam M. Roberts said in an interview, “Lions are wild predators; it will deem anything that shows its back as prey.”




Like this, we must never fear Satan and face him head-on with the Word and prayer. James 4:7 tells us, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” You cannot negotiate or entertain the devil and its demons. The only way to defeat them is to fight and destroy them.




Do not show weakness in front of Satan. The devil is an eternal enemy that will do everything possible to bring you down. We cannot know all the traps, tests, and temptations that will come our way. But we must remain steadfast in Jesus’ name.

 

Even if we do just this, there are great rewards. Pray each day for the reward of driving out the devil. When you do this, health, peace, and success will find you.

 

Daniel lived as a prisoner of Babylonian idolaters. Yet he had the courage to say “no” if something was against the Lord and his faith. He risked his life to uphold God’s Word. Let us be like Daniel. When the world tries to negotiate, convince, sweet talk us, or knock us down, have the strength and courage to proclaim, “No!”

 

Being able to say, “No!” even when you know you have something to lose is how we defeat Satan. We must have the courage to deny the world, even if it means losing our jobs, our friends, or our families. The devil runs away when we stand up against and resist him.

 

Jesus permanently defeated Satan when He died on the cross for us. Jesus obeyed the Lord until, and into, His death. The devil cannot freely wield a disciple of true faith.

 

This is why we must come before God with humility; this is why we must cast our worries onto Him; this is why we must be alert in prayer; and this is why we must resist the devil. Let no one here today succumb to Satan’s temptations. Let everyone here be blessed with the peace and grace that only Jesus Christ can give us. Hallelujah!